No top Afghan representation at ECO Summit in Pak

Afghanistan has refused to send high-level representatives to the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Summit being hosted by Pakistan.

According to TOLO News, neither Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani nor CEO Abdullah Abdullalh are going to attending the event.

It was expected that one of the leaders of the National Unity Government (NUG) or Acting Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani would participate at the meeting but the recent tensions between the two countries have resulted in none of the top leaders participating at the Summit.

However, Afghan ambassador to Pakistan, Omar Zakhilwal, is likely to attend the Summit.

The tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan have increased since a deadly suicide attack in a Sufi shrine in the Pakistani provinces of Sindh killed at least 75 people.

After the attack, Islamabad closed the Torkham border post.

"Pakistan and Afghanistan were negotiating a joint mechanism for dealing with concerns over terrorism. He expressed the hope that progress would take place on the sidelines of the summit," ToloNews quoted Pakistan's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj as saying.

The ECO Summit is aimed at promoting connectivity and cooperation in energy, infrastructure, transport and trade sectors.

Aizaz said the Islamabad declaration, which would be adopted at the end of the Summit, would underscore the significance of more connectivity and cooperation for the benefit of people of the region.